NEW YORK (Universal/Motown Records) - Universal/Motown Records recording artists, Blue October, whose third full-length studio album, "Foiled," entered the Billboard charts at number 29, has announced the postponement of their current tour as a result of lead singer-songwriter Justin Furstenfeld's recent leg injury.
The accident occurred immediately following a headline show in Tampa for more than 3000 97X Birthday Bash listeners at Brighthouse Field in Clearwater Florida. Furstenfeld and the other members of Blue October were running the bases on the minor league baseball field for the Philadelphia Phillies when he broke his leg. He was immediately rushed to the hospital in intense pain and was subsequently released early Sunday morning. vAccording to the band's manager, Paul Nugent, further tests this morning revealed the extent of damage to Furstenfeld's leg. Nugent said, "I'm disappointed to inform you that the MRI performed this morning at Johns Hopkins Hospital on Justin confirmed a complete tear of the LCL (ligament) in his right leg. He will require surgery as soon as possible, early to mid next week. As for the recovery period, we can speculate that Justin will be able to return to the stage on June 17th at Buzz-Fest in Houston; we will be moving our May dates back to late June and July."
Blue October added Texas guitarist Julian Mandrake to the line-up to cover Furstenfeld's guitar parts last night in Baltimore, where Furstenfeld performed in a wheelchair.
Nugent added, "We look forward to getting back on the road and building on this great start for "Foiled" as soon as possible."
The band's single, "Hate Me," continues scorching the airwaves maintaining a solid base at Modern Rock radio - where it is now Number 2 - alongside Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Tool, Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails, etc., while climbing the Top 40 and Hot AC charts. The band recently made their major national television debut on The Tonight Show, April 14th.
"Hate Me" is an emotional and highly charged song and it has generated number 1 phone requests on radio stations across the country since its release in January. Lisa Biello, Program Director at WHRL in Albany said recently, "This is so much more than a breakup song ... it makes a true connection with every person that hears it. It is, without a doubt, the most powerful song on the radio today, and listeners can't get enough. It has blown away everything else to become the #1 most requested after one week." Duane Doherty, PD for KDGE, Dallas, added, "I've believed since the first time I experienced Blue October that it was just a matter of time and the right record before the rest of America discovered them ... .the time is now and this is the record." "Hate Me" was just added to highly influential KROQ in Los Angeles.
To listen to "Hate Me":
https://www.rainmakerartists.com/blue_october/hate_me_120705-c_radio320.mp3
The Dallas Morning News awarded "Foiled" an A- review, comparing the band musically to Peter Gabriel, Depeche Mode, Metallica and Bruce Springsteen, noting, " ... .the album binds brands of rock, soul and pop into a dense, toothsome and taut dough."
Hailing from the great state of Texas, Justin Furstenfeld: lead vocals/guitar, CB Hudson: guitars/vocals, Ryan Delahoussaye: violin/mandolin/piano/vocals, Matt Noveskey: bass/vocals, Jeremy Furstenfeld: drums/vocals have been meticulously expanding their fan base throughout the rest of the country over the last several years.
Their new Universal/Motown Records album, Foiled, is their first studio effort since 2003's History for Sale, which was initially released on independent label, Brando Records. When their song "Calling You," which was also included on the American Wedding Soundtrack, began picking up airplay in Dallas and other markets, Blue October signed to Universal. A double-live CD/DVD, Argue With A Tree, which captured the amazingly symbiotic live relationship between the band and its fans, came out last February, 2005.
Despite the fact Blue October hadn't released a new album in two years, a fall '05 tour was booked, resulting in sold-out shows in Houston, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Tulsa, Little Rock, Omaha, Chicago, Lawrence/Kansas City and Des Moines, proving the band's audience was still strong, which can be seen in the CD/DVD release Argue With A Tree.
The band celebrated their new release with home state celebrations around Texas. Booked by Monterey International, Blue October are currently on a national headline tour and will continue touring through 2006 and 2007 including an appearance at this years' Lollapalooza festival.
